Children investigate their own shadows outdoors, exploring how shadows form and how they change.
Tap a step to mark it as done.
Teach: shadow, light, block, opaque, transparent, direction, length, shape. A torch in a darkened room allows indoor shadow investigation if outdoors is not possible.
Focus on making and noticing shadows before introducing explanations of why they form.
Can children explain that a shadow forms when an object blocks light? Can they predict whether an object will make a shadow based on whether light can pass through it?
Sunlight is free. No equipment needed. The children's own bodies and natural objects are sufficient for a rich investigation.
Children often think shadows are reflections or copies of the object. A shadow is the absence of light behind an object — it has no substance of its own.
Shadow investigation introduces the concept that light travels in straight lines. This is foundational for understanding optics, eclipses, and the scientific use of light.
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